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Dublin goes green to celebrate St Patrick's Day

Kevin Sharkey
BBC News NI Dublin reporter
REUTERS/Clodagh Kilcoyne A group of nine young men dressed as leprechauns, with matching green suits and fake orange beards. The man in the middle is posing with his thumbs up. REUTERS/Clodagh Kilcoyne
Revellers posed for pictures ahead of the St Patrick's Day parade in Dublin

Green was the colour everywhere you looked around Dublin this St Patrick's Day and accents from all over the globe could be heard.

The festive atmosphere was in full swing with a huge parade taking place in front of the President of Ireland Michael D Higgins.

An estimated half a million people from home and abroad watched thousands of people participating and performing in the colourful and very creative parade.

The global visitors to the Irish capital wore all shades of green, against the sounds of Irish traditional music, local and international marching bands, and non-stop on-street entertainment.

REUTERS/Clodagh Kilcoyne Large floats depicting wild animals including a leopard, hippo, giraffe and and elephant, parade through a street in Dublin. The street is packed with people wearing green who are lining the route. REUTERS/Clodagh Kilcoyne
The theme for this year's Dublin parade is "eachtrai" which means adventures in the Irish language

The parade snaked its way along O'Connell Street and onwards past Trinity College to St Stephen's Green.

It included more than 4,000 participants, including marching bands from around the world, performers, dancers and St Patrick's Day floats.

The city was thronged throughout the weekend as revellers arrived early from all over the world to join the annual celebrations.

A huge logistical operation was also under way to prepare for the parade and the huge crowds.

Two men and two women pose for a photo in Dublin ahead of the St Patrick's Day parade through the city. The men both have beards and the women both have long hair. They are all wearing bright green hooded tops. One of the women is wearing black sunglasses with two shamrocks above her head.
Dublin was awash with green on St Patrick's Day

Before the parade, President Higgins and his wife Sabina travelled from Áras an Uachtaráin (official residence of the Irish president) to St Mary's Pro-Cathedral in the city centre where they attended Mass.

The theme for this year's parade was 'eachtrai' (adventures), which aimed to reflect the adventurous spirit of Ireland, highlighting community, diversity, and inclusion.

A special pageant will celebrate 40 years of the Irish non-governmental organisation (NGO) Pavee Point, showcasing Irish Traveller and Roma traditions.

The main parade continued into the afternoon but the international party in the Irish capital will continue long into the night.

Irish President Michael D Higgins arrives for St Patrick's Day Mass in Dublin's Pro-Cathedral. He has white hair and glasses and is wearing a grey three-piece suit with a sprig of shamrock pinned to his lapel. He is walking with the aid of two walking sticks. An Irish soldier in green ceremonial uniform is walking up the steps behind Higgins.
Irish President Michael D Higgins arrives for St Patrick's Day mass in Dublin's Pro-Cathedral